"She's the favourite right now": Elena Rybakina receives backing for maiden Australian Open title by Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova has narrowed it down to two players in the race for supremacy at the 2024 Australian Open with Elena Rybakina in particular seen as the favourite to claim the title by the tennis legend.

Rybakina has been in imperious form to start her season winning Brisbane, but then faltered at the Adelaide International losing out to Ekaterina Alexandrova albeit many thought it was perhaps a step too far for the Kazakh to try and win two tournaments back-to-back then go to the Australian Open.

She opens up against Karolina Pliskova in Melbourne, with likely the main seed she will face being Jessica Pegula in the Quarter-Finals and Iga Swiatek and then a rematch with Aryna Sabalenka could follow. Sabalenka in particular was thrashed by Rybakina in Brisbane as the former Wimbledon champion sent an early season statement.

Navratilova also believes that while Swiatek is the favourite on paper, she is due to her success on the surface but that it will come down to that mooted semi-final on who will seal the title come the end of the two weeks.

"She dropped, what, 15 games in five matches to open the season? She’s been serving great. After losing the final last year, she’ll be super motivated. So, I think for me, she’s the favorite right now. Because the surface suits her better than Swiatek. And she’s got to have a lot of confidence about the way she played, dominating and being healthy. It’s between Swiatek and Rybakina," said Navratilova to WTA Tennis.